Condenser.



J. F. GRACE.

CONDENSER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I. 1913.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

JOHN F. GRACE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSI GNOR TO HENRY R. WORTHINGTON, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONDENSER.

Application filed March 7, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. GRACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Condensers, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to condensers of that class in which a so-called hot well receives the discharge and from which the.

water is delivered to the boiler, or for other use, by a pump, the especial objectsof the invention being to secure a high temperature of the water in the hot well and provide for the use'of a low head hot well pump without interfering with the efficiency of the condenser.

The invention includes certain features of construction by which exhaust steam is used for heating the water in the hot well without danger of the steam passing back into the condenser from the hot well, and by which the speed of the water in passing from the hot well to the pump is increased without danger of drawing vapors or air into the pump suction, and the required depth of water in the hot well may be reduced and the pump placed at a higher level than previously.

F or a full understanding of the "invention, a detailed description of a condensing apparatus of the preferred form embodying all the features of the invention as applied with a surface condenser will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and the features forming the invention then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the dr'awings, Figure 1 is a sectional; elevatlon of a hor1zontal surface condenser with its hot well and hot well pump. Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, A is the surface condenser, shown as of a common horizontal type, having the exhaust steam inlet 10 at'the top, the circulating water inlet and outlet 11, 12, and priming connection 13. Below the condenser A is the hot well B from which the water is delivered through discharge pipe C to the centrifugal hot well pump D. The general construction and arrangement oft-he condenser, hot well, and hot well pump may be of any common or Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 752,605.

usual form suitable for embodying the features of the present invention.

Referring now to the features embodying the present invention, the hot well B above the water level is connected to the condenser, preferably at the exhaust steam inlet, by pipe 14 controlled by cook 15 so that exhaust steam of high temperature may be admitted to the hot well as desired, for maintaining the desired temperature of the discharge water. Above the connection of pipe 14, the hot well is covered by a strainer plate 16, which prevents passage to the hot well of any foreign material that may enter the condenser as, for instance, with the priming water through pipe 13, which would be liable to choke the hot well pump by obstructing the small openings in the impellers. Hand-holes 1 are provided above the strainer through which the top of the strainer may be cleaned. This strainer 16 also acts as a spray plate from which the discharge water is sprayed to receive the heating steam entering through pipe 14. Above the strainer 16 is a splash plate 17 on to which the discharge water from the condenser falls from the spill plate 18 at the bottom of the condenser, shown as having a lip 2 over which the discharge water falls from the body of discharge water retained in the condenser by the lip. This lip is preferably used whenthe quantity of water to be handled is small but may be omitted. The discharge water thus falls downward from the condenser in a-continuous circular sheet which, with the sheet of water flowing over the edges of the spill plate 17, effectually prevents the passage of steamback from the hot well to the con denser. The spill plate is preferably provided, however, with a small vent 3 to prevent vapor or air collecting above the strainer 16 and raising the pressure so as to prevent the steam from flowing in through pipe 14. This vent 3 also maintains a certain amount of circulation of vapor, air, etc., so as to avoid dead spaces or pockets. The usual vent from the suction of pump D, for removing air or vapor passing from the hot well to the suction of the pump is provlded.

this vent in the form shown consisting of pipe 19 connecting with the hot well above the water level.

It is important that the rate of flow of the discharge Water from thehot well should Patented Sept. 14, 1915. v

the full diameter at the water line and the water passes therefrom at a comparatively low speed, and is accelerated in the lower part of the hot well where there is no danger of drawing down air or vapor. In the construction shown, this result is secured by a diaphragm 20 extending partially over the lower portion of the hot well, and radial guides or partitions 21 below the diaphragm between which the water passes to the discharge pipe C at the bottom of the hot well, so that the discharge is throttled by the diaphragm 20 and gradually contracting passages between the radial guides 21,'and the rate of flow thus accelerated. The increased speed of the discharge water thus securedmay be further accelerated by tapering the dischargepipe C, as shown. The rate of flow desired for suction head of the pump D is thus secured without increasing the rate of flow of the liquid in the upper partof the hot well, and the pump may be brought up to a level with'the bottom of the hot well and a comparatively small 7 depth of water maintained in the hot well,

without danger of introducing vapor or air into the pump suction, so that the condenser, hot well, and hot well pump may be brought within small vertical dimensions without interfering withthe efliciency of the appara- It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact -form or arrangement of the parts shown, but modifitrolling the discharge water in its passage from the condenser to the hot well to prevent the passage of the heating steam to the condenser.

2. The combination with a condenser and its hot well for receiving the discharge water, of connections for supplying heating steam to the hot well, a spray plate extending entirely over the hotwell above the steam connection to the hot well, and a discharge water outlet from the condenser having an overflow arranged to form a solid sheet of discharge water above the spray plate.

3. The combination with a condenser and its hot well for receiving the discharge water, of connections for supplying heating steam to the hot well, a spray plate above the steam connection to the hot well, and a spill plate above the spray plate over which the water falls from the condenser to the spray plate.

4. The combination with a condenser and its hot well for receiving the discharge water, of connections for supplying heating steam to the hot well, a spray plate above the steam connection to the hot well, a splash'plate above the spray plate, and a spill plate above the splash plate over which the water falls from the condenser to the splash plate and spray plate.

' 5. The combination with a condenser and its hot well for receiving the discharge steam to the hot well, a. spray plate above the steam connection to the hot well, a spill plate above the spray plate over which the water falls from the condenser to the spray plate, and a vent to the condenser from the hot well above the spray plate.

6. The combination with a condenser and its hot well and discharge pump, of a strainer covering the passage between the condenser and hot well and forming a spray plate, and connections for admitting heating steam to the hot well below the strainer.

7. The combination of a condenser, a hot well beneath the same, means for removing water from the lower portion of the hot well, and a strainer plate extending over the hot well between the condenser and said means for removing water.

8. The combination of a condenser, a hot well beneath the same, means for removing water from the lower portion of the hot well, a strainer plate extending .over the hot well between the condenser and said means for removing water, and a hand hole and removable cover above the strainer plate for access to the upper side of the plate.

9. The combination with a condenser and its hot well and discharge pump, of water passages contracting gradually from the lower portion of the hot well to the discharge pump, whereby the rate of flow of the discharge waterfrom the lower portion of the hot well to the discharge pump is increased for suction head.

10. The combination with a condenser and its hot well and discharge pump, of a diaphragm in the lower part of the hot well reducing the area of water discharge and guides below the diaphragm forming con- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set tracting passages for the discharge Water, my hand, in the presence of tWo subscribing 10 whereby the rate of flow of the discharge Witnesses.

Water from the lower portion of the hot Well to the discharge pump is increased to secure a 10W head suction Without drawing Witnesses:

in vapor or air from the upper portion of C. J. SAWYER, the hot Well. T F. KEHOE.

JOHN F. GRACE. 

